Articles about Car Tech

Computers in cars have created wonderful advances in safety, navigation and performance. Of course, this makes automobiles far more complicated. By making vehicles internet-connected, however, we have opened them up to remote hackers. This is not just a theoretical vulnerability either; there have been actual proof-of-concept attacks on some Jeep models.

Unfortunately, this trend will likely continue. As long as cars are internet-connected, they will always be vulnerable to remote hackers. Today, however, Intel announces a plan to protect us from those evil-doers. You see, it has created the Automotive Security Review Board (ASRB).

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Every year, automobiles get more and more high-tech. The problem, however, is that brand-new cars can be quite expensive. If you buy used cars, it can take a while for the latest and greatest technology to trickle down to you. One way to add tech to your car is by upgrading the stereo, which can give you improved media compatibility and Bluetooth.

Have you ever dreamed about having Wi-Fi in your existing car? Well, now you can. Even if you have a ten year old dented sedan, AT&T has a solution for you -- the ZTE Mobley Wi-Fi hotspot. While tethering from your smartphone or carrying a dedicated battery-powered hotspot has been available for a while, this device is very unique -- it is powered by the car's OBD II port.

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Fiat Chrysler recently recalled over 8,000 vehicles that are vulnerable to a bug through which hackers can take control over the car’s computer system, which would eventually give them the control over the entire car.

The new Jeep Renegade SUV is the one that is vulnerable. Especially those jeeps that were ordered with a 6.5-inch touchscreen in the dashboard.

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There is a large selection of smartphone apps that can be useful to car drivers. Chances are, if you are reading this article, you are familiar with only a few of them -- Google Maps and Waze are the most-likely suspects -- and wish to try out new ones.

The app store on your smartphone gives you a sea of options, but finding interesting things to try can prove to be a daunting challenge, especially if you are not particularly patient or if time is short. Luckily, we have an infographic detailing the 10 apps to try first.

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The Formula E championship is set to return in just under two months and will be accompanied by some new rules and updated cars. The new season begins in Beijing on 17 October and takes in nine other locations including Berlin, Paris and London.

Teams are now allowed to modify their cars, within limits, in order to gain an advantage. Last year, all the vehicles were identical but for the upcoming season, drivetrains and gears can be customized. All the cars will have the same battery power unit, however, something that Audi driver Lucas di Grassi believes will generate a close contest.

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Tesla might face some real competition in the premium electric car market soon, with Aston Martin planning to launch an electric version of the Rapide and the DBX crossover.

Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer said an all-electric, 800 horsepower version of the Rapide would be available within two years. The car would have a 200-mile range, a bit lower than the current Model S.

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After three years of waiting, Tesla has finally set a launch date for the Model X. It will be shipping to customers on September 30, and arriving at show floors shortly after.

The Model X pre-orders started in 2013, with production set to start later that year. Sadly, Tesla went into a state of polishing for two years, where they didn’t want to release the car without making it perfect for the customer.

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Apple may be in talks with BMW about building an electric car together, which would serve as the first in a long line of cars with Apple logos on the front.

Manager Magazin (German) reports that Apple CEO Tim Cook met with BMW officials in Leipzig, Germany. The topic of these discussions was not officially disclosed, although it appears to be a periodic meeting between the two companies.

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We reported last week that a number of Fiat Chrysler vehicles were being recalled  due to the potential for them to be hacked.

Experts at IoT security specialist INSIDE Secure have been looking at the risks and how vehicles can be made more secure in future.

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When it comes to cars, I only consider American manufacturers. Every car I've ever owned has been a Ford, but I am open to GM and Fiat Chrysler vehicles like Chevrolet, Jeep, Dodge and Ram. Lately, I fell in love with the Jeep Renegade -- an Italian-made American SUV -- which was tempting me from Ford.

Due to the reported security deficiencies in Jeep vehicles -- potentially deadly hacks -- I immediately came to my senses. No such vehicles in my future. While the Renegade is not impacted, the brand is, at least for now, tarnished for me. Today, Fiat Chrysler is voluntarily recalling the vehicles that are prey for hackers -- Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler and Ram are all on the list.

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Nokia has agreed to a deal with a consortium of German car manufacturers for the sale of Here Maps, for $2.71 billion (£1.73 billion). The deal would see Here Maps turn into an open platform, which all car manufacturers can use for navigation and mapping inside vehicles.

Volkswagen (Audi’s parent company), Daimler (Mercedes-Benz parent company) and BMW are the main buyers. The three German manufacturers managed to worm their way out of paying upwards of $4 billion (£2.56 billion), which is what Nokia was apparently looking for when all of the interest started surging on Here Maps.

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Google’s self-driving car has been involved in yet another accident and the company has said it wasn’t the autonomous vehicle’s fault.

The car was rear-ended at a crossroads, and the company laid the blame on the human driver behind it.

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This week has been a particularly exciting week for Google, as the company has started testing its self-driving car in Austin, Texas. The car in question is a specially equipped Lexus prototype, and with the new change of scenery the company is hoping that with it will learn more about the car’s performance in a different environment and road conditions, and how it reacts.

They have been testing self-driving cars since 2009, but most of the testing was done within Silicon Valley. Outside of Silicon Valley, Mountain View in California has been the primary testing ground, but with the ramping up of testing Google hopes that the self-driving technology should be ready for commercial use by 2020.

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A San Francisco-based firm has become the first company to create a 3D printed supercar, which can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 2.2 seconds.

The Blade, created by Divergent Microfactories, was developed using a series of chassis parts held together by carbon rods, instead of coming out as a single unit, and was put together like a Lego set.

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Car makers offer some interesting equipment options that are said to increase driving safety. One of those features is a head up display, which shows the driver essential information, such as the speed and turn-by-turn directions, without having to take the eyes off the road. This is a benefit that is commonly pitched by car companies, as, in theory, it would allow the driver to be more focused on what's ahead rather than be distracted by a smartphone or navigation system.

However, a University of Toronto report contradicts this assertion, claiming that, in practice, HUDs are distracting and "a threat to safety" because they force drivers to focus on two different things at once: the road ahead and the windshield.

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